Mobile Device Access Point Selection via Application Security Requirements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile devices face challenges in selecting wireless network access points that balance security and performance, as existing methods often favor high security at the expense of performance or vice versa, leaving devices vulnerable to attacks or compromising network functionality.
Innovation Solution
A method for mobile devices to select a wireless access point based on the capability requirements of executing applications, using a network communication library to receive and analyze capability information from available access points, ensuring that applications requiring secure communication are not allowed to connect to unsecured networks, while also considering signal strength and data rate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If access point selection favors high security standards (such as WPA2), then security level is improved, but network performance (data rate and proximity) deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The access point selection system dynamically adjusts between security and performance based on real-time application requirements. The mobile device monitors which applications are currently executing and their security needs, then selects access points accordingly - switching between high-security access points for sensitive applications and high-performance access points for non-sensitive applications, rather than using a static selection criterion
Solution Approach 2:
Different security and performance characteristics are applied to different applications locally. Each executing application's security requirements are evaluated individually, and the access point selection is tailored to meet the specific needs of each application rather than applying a uniform security level to all network traffic
2Productivity
If access point selection favors high performance (data rate and proximity), then network performance is improved, but security level deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between performance-optimized and security-optimized access points based on the current application's needs. When non-sensitive applications are running, high-performance access points are selected; when sensitive applications require network access, high-security access points are selected instead
Solution Approach 2:
Security and performance characteristics are locally optimized for each application's network traffic. The system evaluates each application's security requirements and selects access points with appropriate security levels, allowing high-performance access points to be used for applications that do not require high security
3Ease of operation
If mobile devices provide clear capability information for access point selection, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile device automatically performs capability information gathering, analysis, and access point selection without requiring user intervention. The device's operating system monitors executing applications, evaluates their security requirements, and autonomously selects appropriate access points, eliminating the need for users to manually configure or understand capability information
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile device having a processor, a memory and a wireless network interface, the processor executing an operating system including a network communication library for providing networking services via the wireless network interface and being further arranged to: receive capability information associated with each of plurality of wireless network access points accessible to the mobile device; identify, for a set of networked applications in execution on the mobile device, one or more applications having associated a wireless network capability requirement; and select an access point from the plurality of access points to provide network communication for the mobile device, the access point being selected based on the identified one or more applications and the received capability information, wherein network communication for applications executed by the mobile device having associated a wireless network capability requirement that is incompatible with a network capability of the selected access point are prevented from network communication by the network communication library.